To think that everyone WFH thinks they are more productive but this view isn’t necessarily shared

I’d be less productive in the office or warehouse as I’d have people to talk to and take lunches with. As it stands I don’t bill work for toilet breaks, lunch or chatting. Where as in the office I’d be doing it on their time anyway.

Depending on the work I am doing I can be more productive at home. However I also value the time spent with colleagues face to face, bumping into people I have not seen in a while and catching colleagues (and vice versa) while in the office.

I'll happily admit some days I'm productive when I wfh, and others I do the bare minimum. Obviously wouldn't say that to my manager though.

As a manager sometimes I can only fill a job by people doing it remotely. We’re in an expensive part of the country so I can get better staff (and in some cases it was the only way I got any applicants) this way. I’d rather I could work in an office with them more often, but the alternative to them WFH is an unfilled vacancy, so we would definitely be less productive as a team.

It's a really individual thing-several people I know with WFJ jobs that were not particularly well monitored set up another enterprise 'on the side' that they were spending their other employers paid time on- so I am a bit cynical in some cases. Whereas my H has always worked from home in last 23 years and is incredibly productive

But lots of people were not productive in offices either.

I think it depends what you do - my work has a quantifiable output that has to be delivered by a specific deadline. So it doesn’t matter if it’s done in fits and starts across a longer period of time than your regular 9-5. It just has to be done and delivered on time.

WFH is much easier as there are fewer distractions.

I do best with a mix.

I find 100% wfh allows me to a certain extent to dodge or hide from some things (or people). whereas going in 2-3 days a week is perfect - I have the energy, headspace, interruption free time and motivation to get loads done when wfh but can't avoid that difficult interaction with colleague a, have opportunities to collaborate well with colleague b etc.

I manage a team of staff including some 100% remote, some hybrid and some 100% in the office and the hybrid ones are doing the best.

After the initial lockdowns when the world went 'back to normal' but WFH continued, I became much less productive at home. Some days I was fine and got as much done as I would have in the office. But some days I just couldn't properly concentrate or motivate myself, which came with guilt because I actually have a really strong work ethic.
It will always be a mixture. But I think a lot of companies are realising that even with those people that are more productive, there's not enough of them to make up for those that are less so. And obviously it's not fair for the WFH productive people to have to pick up the slack. Because I am certain there is plenty of slack, but a lot of it will not be visible to everyone although it is obvious to managers!
Hybrid seems to work and feels like a fair compromise, so I get frustrated when people complain about it if they weren't employed on a 100% WFH contract 🤷

I'm self employed.

Guess what my answer is?

It's obviously not the WFH itself. It is some of the individuals.

My husband’s public sector employers positively encourages WFH.

I'm genuinely very productive at home, but I'm in a senior role and the type of person who always gets on with their work. 22 year old DS on the other hand...let's just say, if I was his manager, he would be back in the office!

I can imagine the same people against anyone wfh would also have been against the introduction of computers into the office. Some people do not like change.

I started work at 5.15am to try and get on top of work. I broke at 7am to get kids ready for school, my dd has broken her ankle so has to have a lift so I wasn’t back at my desk til 8.59am. I grabbed leftovers for lunch and ate at my desk. I popped out to collect dd at 15.30 which took 20mins. I took a break 18.15 to 19.15 for dinner and now I’m working again (I’m just reading this while a report is updating). I’ll probably work until 11pm.

i wouldn’t be doing those hours in an office. I’m flat out.

I've WFH since 2006.

I average 50 hours a week, never take lunch, and am one of the highest performers.

It's not for everyone for sure.

You need to be self motivated and fairly driven.

And the idea were all shirkers is plain nonsense.

Useless meetings significantly declined as soon as we wfh. I think some people used meetings in place of actually working. A total waste of time.

I'm not more productive WFH. If I WFH I basically do nothing. Well.... apart from doing washing, watching TV and eating.

I agree with this but I am glad about it in my place. I am a lower paid worker. In the past I would have to help new young higher paid staff with things because their managers did not train them properly. Its not my job to help new young high paid staff fill in the gaps on training their manager did not do. I am glad that working from home means I no loner have to do this and managers have to do their job properly.

The disbenefit of wfh of face to face contact, informal conversations, and doorstepping those who don't respond or deliver, can mostly be achieved in one or two days a week in an office. The person who said the slackers can be more easily managed in an office I think was correct, and a supplier of ours brought those back into the office sooner than others in late 2020.

There will always be too many meetings, and some too long because a few talk more than needed (or a bad host/organiser). At least when on Teams or some other meeting app you can be doing something else whilst listening, especially if your contribution or item is only a small part.

I'm not!

Most of my job requires a very high level of concentration, which just isn't possible against the backdrop of self indulgent never ending self important gossip and wittering going on non stop on site.

My boss (very new to the sector and even newer to actually managing people) likes to think of herself as a fabulous leader. This is self professed meetings junkie who volunteers for every extra curricular thing going. This is mainly as they don't know how to do the core tasks they should be doing (I should add at this point I have done their role but in a different location). They are currently hell bent on getting me back to the office more than the one or two days a week I can cope with and still stay productive. The rampant presenteeism is eye watering.

As a result I'm looking for another job and only looking at posts that are at least 80% WFH. So much energy goes on utter piffle on site (or wind and knickers as a wonderful ex colleague described it).

This is the part that fascinates me about wfh, or the management of wfh. If you're not contributing to the development of people coming through as you would in the office, are you being equally productive/making an equal contribution?

I really do think this is a time bomb. I think there's a generation of new graduates who've had barely any "learning with Nelly" and are competely missing all the stuff you pick up at "the water cooler"

In a very well run organisation with very strong management, it may be possible to compensate for that, but most businesses aren't that.

What we could do without is people taking the piss and not bothering with childcare because they are "home". Totally unacceptable with primary school kids, I vote for forcing everyone back in the office during school holidays only 😂

Some people confuse being productive and showing their face in the office. If the time wasters ruining a working day with endless gossiping, rounds of tea, inane small talks are even less efficient at home, they should be sacked frankly.

I AM more productive, I am not interrupted every 5 minutes with nonsense.
Much less catching up to do in the evening when I can actually get my work done during the day.